Hyrule Legends
by pandoraElf
Summary: These are tales that you never knew existed. These are tales that answer questions oft-forgotten. These are tales that forever remain forgotten by history, despite their nature. These are the oldest legends of Hyrule.
1. Prologue

If there is one thing that the land of Hyrule is known for, it is legends. Legends of heroes, of monsters, of bravery and ingenuity. Hundreds of these legends exist, and have been compiled into fabled and revered tomes such as _Hyrule Historia_ , among others.

But I can guarantee you, that you have never seen legends like these before in your life.

Why, you ask? Because they're not legends.

They're real.

The Hero of Time? Not a made-up story. The Twilight Princess? She really existed. The Wand of Gamelon?

...well, maybe _some_ legends should be taken with a grain of salt, but I digress.

The other reason you've never seen legends like this before is that they contain answers to questions you've never even asked. It is so easy to think of these stories in terms of black and white, good and evil, whereas in reality? They are just as complex - nay, more complex than life itself.

Why did the King of Thieves really turn to evil? Where did the monsters that even today plague this sacred land come from? Who or what is Majora? And for the love of Hylia, who the hell is Tingle, and why is he in this story?

Even I don't have the answer to that last one.

But, you must be asking yourself, why haven't I heard these stories before if they answer these essential questions?

Because it's easier for most people to think of these legends as just legends, and to inspire themselves with tales of the hero defeating the villain, forgetting so easily that real life is not as simple as that. Not every hero lives, and not every villain is vanquished. Some heroes died before they began their journey, and some villains still live on to this very day...

Now if you are content with living a simple existence and regaling yourself with idealistic fairy tales, feel free to put this book down now, walk away, and never think about the questions that I've posed again.

...are you still there? Good! You're either exceptionally inquisitive, or exceptionally bored. In either case, you are probably very tired of hearing me prattle on and on about the nature of boring things like life, so I'll get on with it.

Our first story begins in an age that contains very few recorded legends, because it is the oldest age. The First Age, if you will. Before the Hero of Twilight, before the Hero of Time, before even the oft-forgotten (by modern Hyrule, at least) Hero of the Sky. This is the age before Hyrule even existed, when the Goddesses were still young (relatively speaking, of course).

This is the Age of Dragons...And I am about to tell the tale of the Draconic Wars.


	2. Draconic Wars I

When the world had existed for a mere century or so, and the land of Hyrule had not even been envisioned, the world as a whole was at peace. Farore, Nayru, and Din had crafted what some might have thought of as a perfect world, free of strife and suffering.

Which then begs the question; how did the so-called envoys of the apocalypse, the dragons, come into being?

Some would say that they had existed all along, and their rage was righteous, for we had trespassed on their rightful territory. Others would say they were agents of a vengeful god, jealous of what the Golden Goddesses had created.

It is not hard to imagine that they were created for the sole purpose of snuffing out this world, for the very first dragons were the stuff of nightmares. The few dragons you may have heard of today may have been capable of mass destruction, but their ancestors almost extinguished all life in a matter of months.

Their fiery breath engulfed all in an inferno that charred to the bone...their tactical minds ensnared unlucky victims in horrifying fates...on the rare occasion that they were wounded, they could heal each other back to full strength within the hour...

But perhaps one of their most terrifying abilities was shapeshifting; the ability to take on a humanoid form and infiltrate unwary towns and fortresses.

Furthermore, it is speculated that these dragons were capable of living for millennia if left to their own devices, making it impossible for them to be outlasted.

These 'Genesis Dragons', as they have been dubbed by the few historians who believe in their existence, were viewed as nothing less than death itself in the eyes of those who lived at the time.

Very few records of the First Draconic War exist, mostly due to the fact that it was less of a war and more of an extermination. Those who had the fortune, or perhaps misfortune, to live through the event refused to elaborate on what happened, citing it as hell itself. And perhaps, in this case, it is better to let sleeping Wolfos lie.

A question that you must be asking yourself at this point is no doubt, 'What happened to the Genesis Dragons?' If they were so powerful, how were they defeated, and if they lived for millennia, surely there should be some around today.

Thankfully, those who witnessed the war were at least willing to divulge the secrets of what happened at the end of it. Namely, what could possibly be the first-ever recorded case of divine intervention.

 _"The Three descended from on high, wrapped in a golden light that felt so comforting, yet so blinding. Din smote the Dragons and robbed them of their power, cowing them under her might. Nayru restored the ravaged wasteland, bringing back life to the world. And Farore comforted us, gave us the strength and courage to rise, no longer afraid, and take back our homes."_

-A quote describing the intervention of the Goddesses, Anonymous

What must be noted here is the fate of the dragons. Although it is vague here, due to the difficult translation of Olde Hylian into Modern Hylian, what is quite certain is that the dragons did not die. Rather, the goddesses stripped them of many of their powers, reducing them to what we know today as dragons.

The Dragons were divided into five tribes, based on which power the goddesses had benevolently left with them. The Fire Dragons, with their iconic fire breath, took up residence in what is now known as Death Mountain. The Water Dragons, who inherited the ability to heal wounds, retreated to Lake Hylia. The Thunder Dragons, left with their sharp intellect, went to the barren Gerudo Desert. The Sky Dragons, rather predictably, took to the sky, their longevity allowing them a long life in the air.

The Earth Dragons were the slight exception to the rule. While it is agreed that the majority of them made their home underground all across Hyrule, one must note that these were the dragons who were left with the ability to shapeshift. As such, it is entirely possible that Earth Dragons roam among us even now in humanoid guise, and were spared what was to come soon.

But I am getting ahead of myself. The point is, the First Draconic War, while not quite ending in a solid victory, ended with peace, and the dust settled across the land for a few more centuries.

But dragons are mortal, just like any one of us, and soon enough they began to quarrel with each other. Some tribes began to cite their claim as the _true heirs_ to the Genesis Dragons, whereas others began to expand their territory in an attempt to gain leverage over the others.

The Earth Dragons, interestingly enough, took no part in this squabbling, preferring to savor what they had found below the earth.

Soon enough, however, like most wars do, a mere spark erupted the conflict between Fire, Water, Thunder, and Sky. What should have been the Golden Age of a new era of peace began to bloom into what was possibly one of most destructive wars in the history of this world: The Second Draconic War.

I am sure some of you are beginning to get bored by now. I promised you legends, and I am instead giving you history. However, like I stated before, there are very few records of the First Draconic War, and as such, many details have been forever lost to history.

I can promise you, however, that the Second Draconic War contains no shortage of fables, including a couple that have paved the way for the rest for millennia upon millennia.

And so our first story, that of the War Demon and the Sorceress, begins in the small, unassuming town of Kasuto...


	3. Draconic Wars II

The village of Kasuto is considered an oddity today - a ruined town that never got rebuilt like its brethren named after the Sages. This has led to urban legends declaring the existence of a secret outcast sage, who betrayed the rest and whose name was then declared taboo.

The truth of why Kasuto never got rebuilt is much less outlandish, though no less supernatural - the place is a veritable minefield of Poes and other ghoulish creatures. Of course, this only adds to the mystery in the eyes of conspiracy theorists. Was Kasuto the site of a demonic ritual, damning it for millennia to come? Was it an example set by the Goddesses themselves to display their power?

The real truth of the matter is both mundane and tragic. Kasuto itself was never of any importance...but it did end up producing both the world's greatest warrior, and the world's greatest dark mage.

A teenage boy practiced his swordplay on a training dummy, repeating over and over, determined to get it just right.

The aspiring warrior was fair-haired, with a kind yet stern face that promised both compassion and strictness where it was necessary.

"Oni! Oni, are you there?"

Oni paused in his training and turned his head towards the voice.

A young girl ran up the slope, happy and carefree, clearly excited to see her friend.

The girl's hair was a deep crimson, and had been since she was a toddler. Some said that she must have been blessed by Din, to receive such scarlet hair.

Oni was brought out of his thoughts as the girl abruptly tripped over a tree branch. He winced, and went to help her.

"Ouch..." the girl whimpered, slowly standing up and shaking the dirt out of her long hair.

"You need to be more careful, M," Oni said gently, using his nickname for the girl. "Watch where you're going next time."

"I'm sorry..." the girl said, downcast...before perking up. "But I was just so excited to see you practicing! You're so cool when you swing that sword around!"

Oni laughed. "Well, I won't deny a compliment. But really, it's not that special. Anyone can do it."

Oni realized his mistake as soon as he said it. He looked at the girl, her shoulders now slumped.

"...But I can't..."

A year back, the girl had tried swinging a smaller sword of her own, and had shown no aptitude for it, no matter how much effort she put in.

Oni sighed, and knelt down. "Look, M. I understand that you're frustrated that you can't wield a sword...but there are other things in life."

The girl kicked a pebble gloomily. "Like what?"

Oni racked his brains, before coming up with a good example. "Remember when I told you about how the Goddesses beat the dragons?"

The girl slowly nodded. "Uh-huh."

"Well, what did they use to do that? Was it swords?"

The girl thought to herself. "No...it was some kind of golden light."

Oni smiled. "Exactly. Swords aren't all-powerful. They don't solve every problem. Sometimes, you need something different."

The girl slowly smiled. "...Yeah. All right! So what if I can't use a sword! I can still be strong!"

Oni beamed. "You've got that right, kiddo!"

The girl beamed back. "Yeah! And I bet when I grow up, I'll be able to use that cool golden light too!"

Oni ruffled her hair affectionately. "I bet you will, M. I bet you will."

The girl giggled, before gasping. "Oh! I almost forgot the reason I came to get you!"

Oni looked at her inquisitively. "What is it?"

"There were these men wearing armor at the gate! They said they wanted to talk to our strongest warrior, and I thought, 'well, that's obviously Oni,' and so I-" The girl paused. "Is something wrong, Oni?"

Oni's previously carefree expression had become strained. As soon as she posed her question he forced a happy smile back onto his face again, but the damage had been done. "Nah. Things are alright. Could you bring me to those men? I need to talk to them."

The girl pressed up against the stone house, attempting to eavesdrop on the conversation between Oni, the village elder, and the men in armor. She could only catch a few phrases though.

"...Fire Dragons..."

"...moving south..."

"...reach here eventually..."

"...need all the help we can get..."

Eventually, Oni emerged from the house. The girl quickly tried to make it look like she hadn't just been eavesdropping, which would have fooled no one normally but worked on Oni due to the dismayed expression on his face.

"O-Oni? Wh-what's wrong?"

Oni noticed her and quickly attempted to put on a facade of cheerfulness. "I-it's nothing much. I'm just going to be away for a while."

He knelt down and hugged her. "I'll send letters every week, and I'll be back before you know it."

The girl nodded hesitantly. "Okay...good luck, and stay safe..."

Oni smiled a weak smile, and began walking to the village entrance along with the men in armor.

The girl tried to hold back tears, before finally blurting out, "I'll miss you, Oni!"

Oni looked back, and smiled weakly. "I'll miss you too, Majora."

And that was the last the friends ever saw of each other.


	4. Draconic Wars III

There is a distinct reason that of all the dragons today, the ones remembered most vividly are the Fire Dragons. That is because out of all the dragons involved in the Second Draconic War, they were the ones that directly fought against the humans.

So it came to pass, that six months after his departure, the swordsman known as Oni, along with approximately two dozen other soldiers, was climbing the place that would one day be known as Death Mountain.

Over the course of his time with the platoon, Oni's charisma and intelligence had led him to become both a leader and a strategist. With careful consideration, he had come up with a plan that would help eliminate the dragons.

Dragons had many advantages over humans. Tough scales, large size, and more - but perhaps their biggest advantage was that they could fly, and humans could not.

So they were going to take away that advantage.

Scouts had reported a Fire Dragon encampment on the other side of the mountain. So, they were going to climb up from their side, and descend from the top. With the element of surprise and the higher ground, they would surely win.

Standing atop the mountain, Oni turned around to give a speech to his men.

"Men. I understand that this war may seem unfightable, unwinnable. The dragons may seem undefeatable. But we are humans, and if there is one thing we have, it is tenacity!"

A roar of affirmation came from the platoon in front of him.

"If we fall, our villages, our friends and family will be next! So failing is NOT AN OPTION!"

A second roar.

"So come on, men! Let's show these dragons the strength and fighting spirit that humanity has!"

A third roar rose up from the crowd, and Oni smiled.

Then there was a fourth roar.

And it didn't come from the crowd.

A flapping of wings, a feeling of immense heat emanating from behind him. The hairs on the back of his neck stood up. He turned around. Slowly.

Before him stood the very image of terror. Seven Fire Dragons, flapping in a V-formation.

The one in the front spoke up.

"Hello there, insects. Which of you shall I step on first?"


	5. Draconic Wars IV

Screaming.

Blood.

So much blood.

Sword. Where was his sword?

There. In front of him.

He grabbed it.

He stood up.

And all he saw was death.

* * *

Oni stood, panting. Across the summit of Death Mountain laid the bodies of his men. Seven Dragons, all without a scratch on them.

The same one who had spoken earlier grinned. "Ah, seems we missed one. Well? Which one of you would like the last kill?"

One of the dragons lumbered forward. "If it's all the same to you, sir, I'll have this dance."

Oni gripped his sword, glaring at his hated enemies. He didn't care that it was physically impossible to outlast seven dragons. He didn't care in the least. It was no longer an option to fail.

The dragon stepped in front of him. Oni took in his opponent. With yellowish-grey scales and greenish-blue eyes, on any other occasion he might have seemed majestic.

But all Oni saw was a monster to be slain.

The dragon spoke. "Well met, young warrior. I am Eldin. What is your name?"

"Why should I give my name to a filthy dragon like you?" Oni spat derisively.

The dragon frowned, or at least frowned as best a dragon could. "You must understand that I personally have no hatred for your kind. This is not personal, I am simply fighting for my tribe."

Oni laughed hollowly. "No hatred!? Then what do you call the atrocities my kind have suffered due to you dragons! If you wish to war with each other, that's fine by me, but keep my kind out of it!"

With a yell, Oni lunged forward.

A note about fighting dragons. Never face a Fire Dragon as a group - the fire breath will only prove more destructive.

As such, fighting one-on-one with his opponent, Oni was suddenly far more effective.

Ducking and slashing, rolling and slicing, Oni used his opponent's size against him, dodging his strikes and avoiding his fire.

After a time where Oni had dealt several small strikes and Eldin had struck not once, Oni found a prime opportunity to go for the tail, a dragon's weakest point.

Oni rushed forward, victory in mind -

And suddenly had the wind struck out of him as a claw slashed across his side, tossing him to the edge of the summit.

Oni started to fade into unconsciousness, barely registering his opponents arguing amongst themselves.

"Why did you interfere!? We were having an honorable fight!"

"You were _losing_ an honorable fight, Eldin. He would have sliced off your tail, and then killed you. And you're of no use to us dead."

"But-"

"A word to the wise, Eldin."

The ground shook as Oni felt a shadow fall over him.

"In a war like this...against _insects_ …"

He suddenly felt something slam into him, and the wind rushed through his hair.

"There is no such thing as _honor_."

And he fell.


	6. Draconic Wars V

In the olden days of Hyrule, no postal system existed, and news took weeks to travel from place to place.

And thus, it took a whole month for the news of the battle of Death Mountain to reach the village of Kasuto.

They had not found Oni's body, but the bodies they had found were barely recognizable after being charred by dragonfire. As such, they decided to not give Oni's loved ones any false hope, and declared him dead.

A memorial was held in the rain a few days after the message was delivered...and that was that. The world went on. Despite Oni being the village's best swordsman, very few spared a moment of their time to mourn for him.

And as a result, the villagers went about their business as normal, preparing for their upcoming three-day Festival of Masks.

But one small girl cared not for the festivities, and when the festival came, and people donned their masks, she was nowhere to be seen.

For the first two days, Majora sat in her room, crying to herself. She may have been young, but she knew very well that her friend was gone, and not coming back.

On the night of the final day, however, Majora had run out of tears to shed. Desperate to get away from the places that reminded her that Oni was gone, she ventured out of her house and into the festival.

But the masks worn by the various townspeople terrified her, and in the end she was huddled in a remote corner, burying her face in her hands.

And then she heard a voice speak to her.

"Oh dear...you look like you've met with a terrible fate, my child, haven't you?"

She looked up to see a tall, gaunt, red-haired man smiling down at her. He wore on his back a pack that had various masks hung from it. Oddly enough he did not wear one himself.

"Go away," she mumbled. "M'fine."

"On the contrary," the man responded, the smile never leaving his face. "From the looks of things, you seem far from well."

"Well I haven't met with any 'terrible fate', all right!? So I'm fine!" She snapped at him, her grief getting the best of her.

"Well," the man mused, still smiling unnervingly, "I personally believe that the pain of losing a loved one is a terrible fate enough."

She looked up at him in surprise. "...How on earth did you know that?"

The man's expression wavered for but a split second, and all of a sudden the smile was no longer unnerving, but weary. "Years of experience."

Majora raised an eyebrow. "...you don't look like a soldier."

"Oh, far from it," the man chuckled. "I am but a mere mask salesman, spreading happiness and cheer."

"Then how…"

"The war encompasses all these days," the man said. "I have lost many a traveling companion to the dragons."

Majora looked down awkwardly. She hadn't meant to remind him of his loss.

"...how do you do it?"

"Pardon?" the mask salesman responded.

"How do you keep on smiling...knowing that your friends are gone?"

The man's expression didn't change. "Well, there are many things that go into it. But I'll let you in on the most important secret…"

And all of a sudden, the man's smile was gone. In its place was a grimace that spoke of horrors witnessed and atrocities encountered.

"I'm only smiling on the outside."

Majora looked downcast, both due to the salesman's obvious misery and the news that there was no magical solution to her grief.

"However...if you are fine with a more temporary solution," the man said after a short silence. "I could provide you with one."

Majora looked up as the salesman sat down beside her. "Whenever I feel enough grief that I cannot even smile on the outside, there is a special song I play to myself."

He brought out a woodwind instrument that Majora recognized. "An ocarina?"

The man smiled again. "Yes. I am surprised you know what it is."

"My friend made me one…" she said hesitantly, bringing it out.

The man's eyes gazed at the ocarina in front of him. "My, that is brilliantly carved. I would very much like to meet the one who-"

His gaze shifted from the ocarina to Majora, whose eyes spoke volumes."

"Ah," the man coughed awkwardly. "My apologies."

"In any case," he said, putting on a cheery smile again. "Would you care to follow along with me?"

"But…" Majora said, confused…"I don't know the song."

"That's quite alright. It's a simple song. Simply do as I do."

He raised the ocarina to his lips, and after a moment, Majora did as well.

Then he began to play.

The music washed over them, and Majora's eyes widened. The song seemed so innocent, so kind...yet somber and respectful. Involuntarily, she began playing along.

Words floated through her mind unbidden, lyrics that she instinctively attributed to the song.

 _Day to night, dark to light,_

 _Fall the sands of time._

 _Let the years like the gears_

 _Of a clock unwind_

 _In your mind walk through time_

 _Back to better days._

 _Memories, like a dream,_

 _Wash tears away._

 _Like a star in the sky,_

 _Darkness can't reach you_

 _Light the night, joy is light,_

 _Till the new dawn._

 _Cast away your old face_

 _Let go your spite,_

 _With this mask I'll ask_

 _To borrow your light_

The music ended, and Majora realized she felt calmer, more at peace.

"So? Feel better?" the salesman asked, his smile seeming almost genuine for the first time that night.

"What...what was that?" Majora asked, stunned. "I feel…so calm."

The salesman looked up wistfully. "That, my friend, was what is known as the Song of Healing. It is said to cure worries, put souls to rest, and ease pain and grief."

Majora simply sat there, staring up at the sky in wonder. "It...it's beautiful."

* * *

They simply sat there for a while, gazing up at the stars. All of a sudden, the bell began to toll, signalling it was almost midnight.

"Oh dear. It appears my time is up," the man said nonchalantly. "That would be my cue to pack up shop and leave."

"What?" Majora said, alarmed. "Please don't go!"

"Hm?" the salesman said, turning back to Majora. "Is there something more you require of me?"

"I…" Majora swallowed nervously. "...m'scared…" she mumbled.

"Pardon?"

"I'm scared," She said, slightly louder. "The masks they're all wearing...It makes them scary. They look like monsters."

The salesman gave a nod of understanding. "Perfectly reasonable. I suppose I could help with that as well."

Majora looked up hopefully as the salesman opened his pack and began rummaging through it. "No, not that one...not that one either...I'm sure I had a spare somewhere around...Ah! Here we go!"

He pulled out a purple, heart-shaped mask, with piercing yellow eyes. "Yes, you'll do nicely...Here you go."

Majora shrunk back as he handed the mask to her. "...It's scary."

"Ah, but that's the point, my dear," The salesman said comfortingly. "This mask is so scary, that if any monsters look at you, they'll be terrified of you and back right off."

Majora stopped shaking and looked up. "...really?"

The salesman dropped his grin and solemnly put his hand over his chest. "I swear on my honor as a mask salesman, that no monster of this world shall ever trouble you as long as you wear this mask."

Hesitantly, Majora accepted the mask and put it on. And all of a sudden she felt stronger, more fearless.

She stood there for a minute, then snapped out of her reverie when she realized the salesman was walking away. "Th-thank you mister! Thank you very much mister happy mask salesman!"

The salesman turned back to her and took a mock bow. "My pleasure, Majora. All mine."

As he walked away again, he thought to himself. " _Happy Mask Salesman, hm? I like that. Has a nice ring to it."_

When the clock struck midnight that night, Majora had not joined the festival, despite her new bravery.

Nonetheless, she sat happily in the back alley with her mask and ocarina, and played tunes to herself. So happy was she, that she never realized that she had not given the salesman her name.

" _Oni…"_ she thought to herself. " _I'll live. For both of us."_

* * *

Somewhere far away, a heavily bandaged man stirred in his sleep.

A voice echoed nearby. "Rest for now, boy. You've quite clearly been through a lot."

* * *

 **Author's Note: The lyrics to the Song of Healing are not mine. They belong to ColdFlameZero.**


End file.
